Waning Moon
by Queriusole
Summary: Lupin Tonks, Moody. Remus just needs some rest and decent food to recover from the full moon. And he thinks he can get these at Tonks? Ch 1 A visit from Pomfrey and Moody. Ch 2 Is he better than a duck? Ch 3 Witch mother
1. Pomfrey and Moody

Summary: Lupin Tonks, Moody. Remus just needs some rest and decent food to recover from the full moon. And he thinks he'll find this at Tonks'?

Author Notes: Occurs during Order of the Phoenix at the beginning of the summer. This relies on the physical features of Lupin as presented in the PoA movie. Written Sep 12, 2004. Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. The story was written for the pleasure of playing with her characters.

**WANING MOON**

_**POMFREY & MOODY**_

Remus Lupin was recovering from the full moon after suffering through an unexpected adventure that included a Dark Wizard, other werewolves, a dragon and a crazed animagus. Nymphadora Tonks had brought them directly to her flat shortly after dawn so he could recuperate in peace. How difficult could it be to tend to a man who needed rest?

By ten in the morning, Tonks was in a panic. She had woken to hear Lupin moaning incoherently and was unable to rouse him. She bit her lip as she considered the wisdom in alerting St. Mungo's, but instead snapped her fingers and ran to her bureau to pull out a mirror.

"Madam Pomfrey! Poppy? It's me, Tonks. I need your help with Remus Lupin." Tonks heaved a great sigh when she saw the head nurse at Hogwarts appear in the frame.

"Remus Lupin? What have you done to the poor man?" asked Pomfrey sternly.

"I'll tell you when you get here. Please, can you come?"

The face in the mirror was gone and ten minutes later there was a rap at her door. Tonks merely waved her wand to open it and called, "In the bedroom, Poppy!"

"Oh, this doesn't sound good," muttered Pomfrey to herself. She was rather relieved to find Lupin fully clothed in a t-shirt and light slacks as he lay on the bed, but his distress was clear.

"Can you help him? asked Tonks.

"Don't tell me the full story, I don't really want to know. Just give me the facts pertaining to his injuries..."

Madam Pomfrey got to work as Tonks gave her a summary. Pomfrey focused on her incantations and had Tonks help her get a potion down Lupin's throat. Ten minutes later, she put her hand on Lupin's forehead and nodded in satisfaction.

"He'll be all right now, Tonks. You did a good job of keeping him stable, but I can't believe you didn't send for a healer to check him before this. Dragon claws are filthy. I thought I taught you better than that, what with all the scrapes you got into at Hogwarts plus your Auror training."

"Yes, ma'am," said Tonks rather submissively. The Auror looked quite young to Madam Pomfrey as she explained. "I got, uh, distracted by the moment and all Remus wanted was a place to rest, so we just came here. I guess I should get him to Grimmauld Place so Molly can see to him. She'll do a better job."

"Being Molly coddled would give him no rest, Tonks. You did the right thing, but you have to remember that Remus is particularly helpless right now. It's your first time, isn't it?"

Tonks could only nod. "I bet you were never negligent."

Pomfrey merely shook her head and smiled wistfully. "I was just in my first year as a qualified healer when I started my position at Hogwarts. And then the Headmaster tells me that we're to have a special student begin for the fall. Oh my, you can't imagine how nervous I was about dealing with a werewolf! Yes, I made my mistakes."

The healer looked at her patient and brushed away the bangs from his forehead as if she were seeing the young boy she had first met. "But Remus was such a sweet boy. He never cried and only offered the mildest complaints about the horrible taste of his medicines. And he had that adorably shy smile. He'd help out in the infirmary whenever he could to 'repay my kindness,' he'd say."

"School boy crush?" asked Tonks with a smile of her own. It would make sense.

Pomfrey nodded. "Yes, but unlike some other boys, who shall remain nameless since one was your cousin, it was completely charming and chaste in its expression."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "I apologize for any misbehavior from Sirius if he failed to do so before he left."

"Luckily for me young Mister Black discovered girls his own age were more susceptible to his charms," offered Pomfrey with a light laugh. "He was a cocky one, though."

"So did Remus fancy you all through school?"

"He outgrew the crush after the first few years, but he never stopped being my most faithful assistant when I was in a pinch." Pomfrey added, "Every spring while he was at Hogwarts, I would find a pot of crocuses on my windowsill. I know he dug them up from the woods and you have to travel fairly deep to get the best ones."

Pomfrey patted Lupin's head as if he were a young boy there rather than a grown man. "For all the trouble he went through, he was always too shy to admit that he brought them to me."

"Then how did you know he left them?" asked Tonks.

"I always suspected because he'd make a point of mentioning how pretty they looked when he saw them. He was just waiting for me to agree. Then when Remus taught at Hogwarts, that spring, for the first time in sixteen years, the crocuses were there on my windowsill. He still didn't leave a note, but we shared a cup of tea together and just sat quietly looking at the flowers."

Tonks squeezed Lupin's hand and said, "Yes, that sounds just like him. Thank you for taking care of him at Hogwarts and for coming to tend him now. I'll get better at this, I promise."

Pomfrey quirked an eyebrow at this comment. The Tonks she remembered wouldn't have looked twice at such a peaky fellow. "Don't try to do it all yourself, Tonks. You need some of that restorative potion I left, too. And don't forget the healing salts. Just toss them into the bath water and it will ease the aches."

Pomfrey was already moving to the door, waving her wand to clear a path through the clutter on the floor, as Tonks assured, "I'll see that he gets them."

Before she left, Pomfrey added, "Remus might exhibit some side effects later. The Sanguinae potion tended to make him a little loopy as it wore off. I'd catch him jumping on the beds."

"I'll make sure he doesn't hurt himself," promised Tonks.

Pomfrey stopped one last time to say, "And speaking of beds, I'd get a larger one if you plan on making this a habit. Those extension spells on furniture don't last more than two hours if you don't remember to prolong them."

Tonks nodded and waved as she closed the door to her flat. She pressed against in relief that Pomfrey would come so quickly for Lupin. It wasn't often that one saw her out of her territory at Hogwarts.

She walked into the bedroom to find Lupin was still sleeping peacefully. Tonks had extended her bed again, but knew Pomfrey was right about getting a larger one. The question in her mind was whether Lupin would trust her to take care of him after this. She opened the box atop her bureau that now held the twin moonstones. The Wolfshadow amulets were evidence of Lupin's trust in her; she just had to have some faith in herself.

Tonks lay on the bed next to him and watched his steady breathing for a long time. She noticed he had the two pillows under his head and muttered, "You're breaking rule number three, Remus. Don't hog the pillows."

But instead of yanking one out, Tonks merely curled up next to him with her forehead touching his shoulder.

She thought about Remus Lupin as she drifted off to sleep_. Venificus primo_; direct descendent of Roman wizards, yet shunned by society. Wolf Hunter by legacy, but werewolf for life. His entire existence was a paradox. If he could find a way to live with all those contradictions, perhaps he could find a way to live with her, too.

- - - - - - - - -

Two hours later Tonks heard the knocking on the door and hurried into her living room, grabbing her wand as she went and shrugging into her Auror robe to cover her t-shirt. She stumbled twice on her way as she ineffectively dodged the clothing and miscellaneous items on her bedroom floor. In frustration she just pointed her wand to open the door to her flat.

One last stumble put her on her knees in front of Mad-Eye Moody.

"I'm glad to see you're grateful, Tonks, but you really have no need to kowtow to me."

Tonks scowled at her mentor and stood up quickly. "Wotcher, Mad-Eye. I just stumbled."

"I've been to Order headquarters and gave the essential details about our adventure last night. Molly sent you some food and said to just pop over if you need more."

"She doesn't think I can feed my patient I suppose," muttered Tonks. "There's enough here to last several meals."

"Hmf, it was my idea to send food. Can't have a trained Auror killing a citizen with her cooking." Moody stomped into her small kitchen and placed the bag he carried on the table.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," said Tonks as she opened the bag and pulled out the contents.

"I also need you to sign the final report I'm submitting at the office. Go on then, read," directed Moody.

Tonks took the parchment he offered and grabbed an apple to munch on as she read. She nodded, frowned, then understood.

"You managed to keep Remus entirely out of this. 'Upon inspection we identified suspicious raven...Gideon Skinner subdued in self-defense after attack against Aurors by Dark Arts orb...two werewolves subdued by conventional means, one killed...located and subdued contraband dragon held by Skinner.' You didn't even mention that the raven was an Animagus."

"Dumbledore has the full story. No one else needs to know about Lupin's involvement," said Moody.

"And for that, I thank you," said Lupin as he walked from the bedroom with a light wave of his wand aimed at the floor before him.

"Remus!" Tonks smiled, then frowned as she noticed he had parted the clutter on her bedroom floor to create a neat aisle. "You violated rule number two: ignore the mess."

"Was that a mess? I thought it was primordial slime. Could swear I saw something moving in it," said Lupin smoothly.

"I'm glad to see your good humor is back," said Tonks as she moved to help him to the table.

Although still barefoot, Lupin had dawned his shabby old wizard robe, she noticed. The man didn't like to expose any skin in public if he could help it. She'd need to work with him on that.

Once seated, Lupin asked Moody, "Why did you hide Tonks' ability to use the homorphus spell? I'd think that would have value to the Aurors."

Moody took a drink from his hip flask before responding. "Leandra Skinner transformed into her human form this morning, but still behaves like a wolf. Can't speak, only barks, whines, and snarls. Tonks could be held accountable if the homorphus spell reacted with the Wolfsbane somehow. I wouldn't advise using Lupin for target practice, Tonks."

"But there should be a warning to others. There are innocent werewolves who could be harmed," began Lupin.

"It's not like there's any other wizard around these parts who can do the spell, unless you believe Lockhart's lies." Moody took another swig from his flask.

"We need to talk to Severus about this at least. He's the best authority on the subject," said Lupin.

"I owled him already. He said he'd look into the theoretical interactions of spell and potion. Then he can write a scroll to submit to the Ministry about the potential for the homorphus spell rebounding in the werewolf who ingested Wolfsbane."

Tonks rubbed her forehead. "I can't imagine living like that. I didn't like the woman, but I just wanted her to leave Remus alone."

Lupin frowned as he remembered the encounter. "Didn't you call her a--"

"It was descriptive at the time!" said Tonks in defense. "Besides, I wanted to make sure I got her attention away from you. It was effective."

Lupin had to admit she was right. He didn't want to even consider the possibility of how he would feel if he'd mated with a werewolf. He had no intention of sharing his curse with his own child. His isolation during full moons had precluded this possibility before.

Lupin put a comforting hand on Tonks shoulder. "You didn't know this would happen. It was the first time you used the spell, wasn't it?"

Tonks nodded her head. "I've been studying it more closely since, well, since I got involved in the Order. The incantation felt natural to me. Do you know what I mean? So I kept visualizing it and practicing it until it was fluid."

The men merely nodded. Some spells came easier than others. Lupin said, "You have a natural skill for transfiguration. I wonder if all the successful homorphus spell casters were Metamorphmagi."

"Other than Lockhart, of course," said Tonks sarcastically.

Moody pointed to Tonks and said, "Snape expects to see you at the Leaky Cauldron this evening at seven. He wants the details of the spell from you, so don't you go standing him up."

Tonks rolled her eyes, but said, "I'll go but I doubt there's much I can tell him.

"And sign off here so I can submit the report to the Ministry. I got you off tomorrow as well since you had the brunt of the injuries." Moody walked toward the door once the document was ready and added, "You might think about increasing your security here. You let anyone who knows you have access to your flat. I could have walked right in."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mad-Eye. Thanks," said Tonks. After he left, she turned to Lupin and asked, "Want lunch? I can vouch for its safety."

"I think I can finally manage to eat."

"And then you have to drink some more potions," said Tonks.

"Yes, Nymphadora."

"And quit breaking rule number four!"

"Only if I'm bribed with chocolate," countered Lupin.

"Fine," said Tonks as she tossed a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate on the table. "The Chocolate Lovers without Lovers meeting is now called to order. First, we need to discuss penalties for breaking rules."

"Penalties?" Lupin looked dubious as he seemingly broke off a single piece of chocolate.

"Penalties shall be imposed without warning." Tonks snatched the rest of the chocolate bar away from him.

"You mean at your whim," muttered Lupin as he waved the extra piece of chocolate he had pilfered between two fingers.

"Just you wait, Professor. When you least expect it..."

Lupin raised his hands palms out in supplication. "I'll serve the penalty without fuss, I promise."

He didn't like the grin Tonks threw his way, but they ate their lunch in good company and settled in for another nap. As he felt her snuggling against his back, he thought again that Nymphadora Tonks was, indeed, better than chocolate.

_TBC_

Author Notes:

This story focuses on Lupin's recovery from the events in Wolfshadow and all occur in one day. (if you want to read the other stories, just hit Queriusole and the list comes up). You can follow it as a stand alone, though.

The first two chapters are light, the last chapter will be a bit darker. I'm trying to post them all tonight, but I'm not sure about timing issues for doing that at So three days at most to get them up. Honestly, I thought this would be a one chapter story when I began.

I used this chapter to explain some of Tonks' mistakes, whether intended or not, without reducing her to a stumbling naive girl, although I did use her clumsiness in the story. Lupin is weak after full moon, but I hope he still comes off as a strong person.

Wolfsbane and Homorphus spell interactions are completely fictional, but thought it would be a neat idea to present. I also wanted to emphasize why Tonks would have an advantage with performing the spell. It's like Harry's innate ability to use a broom.

I don't know where Pomfrey came from, but I enjoyed her visit and her story about the Marauders at Hogwarts. I could well imagine a juvenile Sirius "hitting" on an older woman and thinking he could succeed. (No, his behavior wasn't sexual harassment in my mind; he would never cross that line). And I think she'd be a perfect first crush for our dear werewolf.

Thanks for reading.

13


	2. Rubber Duck

_**RUBBER DUCK**_

Lupin was coming out of his latest nap in the late afternoon. Something was different; he wasn't feeling as drained as he had earlier. He stretched his legs and noticed his foot extended over the edge. Odd, but he needed to get the kinks out of his body, so he rolled over onto his back and began his stretch.

"nnnk"

Lupin's eyes fluttered opened. He could have sworn he heard something.

"nnnk mm iss"

There it was again. He looked around the room and remembered. "Tonks?"

Lupin lifted his shoulders off the bed and heard her sputtering, "You're squishing me, get off!"

She was squirming from somewhere behind and under him, but before he could locate her he felt the world tumbling.

THUD!

"Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?" Pink hair and bleary eyes peeked guiltily at him. On the other hand, the soft material of his slacks clung nicely to his backside.

"No, the stack of dirty laundry littering your floor broke my fall," said Lupin. He got up to his knees--_squeak_--and pulled out the yellow rubber duck under his knee.

He stared at its garish smile for a moment while Tonks said, "There it is! Been looking for that for weeks."

Lupin looked up at her and merely squeaked the duck again.

"It's for Arthur." Tonks rolled her eyes. "Well, you tell me how you'd explain a rubber duck to a non-Muggle?"

"I see your point," said Lupin as he tossed the duck her way. He found his feet now tangled in something with straps and gave a great tug. The garment snapped and flicked him quickly on the nose.

He heard Tonks chuckling from the bed as he rubbed his nose. With two fingers he extended the bra with multi-colored polka dots to its owner. "I'm sure this isn't mine."

Tonks snatched it out of his hands and threw it to the floor on the other side of the bed. "No, I left the pumpkin colored one for you."

Lupin nodded absently as he managed to kneel by the bed, but then said, "Wait. You left your bra in my room?"

"You practically dared me to liven up the place, remember? Haven't you found it yet?" asked Tonks as she stretched.

Lupin frowned. "I do seem to remember Kreacher running off with something orange--"

"What! You let that--" Tonks noticed his grin and thumped him softly with a pillow, making his torso fall on the bed, but he was laughing. The Sanguinae potion must be wearing off, she thought as she smothered him in retribution. "It's in the bottom of the drawer with your t-shirts. I thought it was fair exchange."

Lupin, now no longer smothered by the pillow, looked up at the bubble-gum haired woman. "Fair exchange for what?"

"Um, nothing," said Tonks as her hand self-consciously swiped at the t-shirt she was wearing.

"Tonks, you stole my t-shirt," accused Lupin as he brought his head up.

"It was a fair exchange of underwear," said Tonks as she put a pillow protectively in front of her and scooted backward on the bed. Damn, the mattress and frame had shrunk back to normal size. It seemed to be getting smaller with each retraction.

"Oh, no, I can't wear your bra but you can--and in fact are--wearing my t-shirt," said Lupin as a long arm reached for the unapologetic witch.

"You don't know that it's this one," squealed Tonks as she saw a familiar gleam in Lupin's eyes. He was now on the bed and crawling toward her. "And you broke rule number one: don't argue with me."

"I can prove it, Nymphadora," said Lupin as he lunged quickly.

"Ah, you broke rule number four, you--eek!"

Her peals of laughter as he tickled her rang through the room and, try as she might, she couldn't squirm away from him fast enough. He was definitely acting a bit loopy.

"Aha! See, RJL. The laundry mark is clear," said Lupin with a triumphant grin as he read the tag. His face was very close to her neck at this point and his breath on her nape made her shiver. He noticed the way she closed her eyes and his fingers reached out to rub gently against her exposed skin.

Tonks murmured, "A nice massage would be a great way to apologize for your vicious attack."

"And now the truth comes out. You only invited me here to use me callously," said Lupin as he stroked her neck.

"You've wrung the confession out of me," said Tonks as she offered him access. The long strokes felt delicious. "Mmm, you have great hands, did you know?"

Lupin stopped his movements and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "No, I didn't."

She felt his lips on the nape of her neck. It wasn't so much a kiss as a nuzzle, but enough to encourage her to turn to him and share a passionate--_squeak!_

They were both laughing as Tonks pulled out the rubber duck that had found its way under a pillow.

"This will never work between us," said Tonks in mock regret as she looked at the duck

"He's just a duck. I'm a werewolf. Surely that's got to count for something, Nymphadora."

_Squeak, squeak_. Tonks rapped the duck against Lupin's shoulder and said, "You violated rule four again! And I meant that I'm a slob and you're a neat freak."

"Then I guess we'll have to rely on our mutual lust," said Lupin softly. Then he practically growled, "Where's the chocolate?"

Tonks eyes flicked quickly to her bureau. They were both still for a moment, then suddenly shot toward the chocolate with great speed and no agility what so ever. They wound up tangled on the floor again.

"Professor Lupin, I do think you're a bit loopy from the potion wearing off," said Tonks as she settled her head on his chest.

"Tumbling off the bed was more advisable than jumping on it," said Lupin. But the warm feeling of comfort was not something he gained from a potion. He didn't even mind that she could see the scars on his bare arms. He squeezed her shoulders and added, "At least you've abandoned the duck for me."

"Don't be so cocky. I'm having second thoughts. At least he can't call me Nymphadora," muttered Tonks.

Lupin sat up a bit and used his long reach to grab the bar of Honeyduke's chocolate that lay atop the bureau. "But I have so much more to offer you."

Tonks took the chocolate he offered and broke off a piece. As she nibbled on it, she said, "I'll have to test you out in a bathtub before I make my final decision."

Lupin almost choked on the chocolate going down is throat.

Whack, whack. Tonks smiled as she patted his back.

"Don't fret, I was only joking." Tonks crossed her fingers behind her back.

"Good, because I think the duck would win given the pristine condition of his body." Lupin didn't realize he was tracing a scar on his arm as he said this.

"You have other things in common with the duck. For example, he's as chaste as you are and is mostly quiet."

"Did he ever share your bath?"

Tonks smiled, "He bobbed along like quite the gentleman on the surface of the water."

"That does it. I demand that duck be removed from the premises," said Lupin as he threw a suspicious glance to the toy. "No wonder he has a smile on his face."

"I'll take it to Arthur straight away," said Tonks solemnly as she sat up. "I need to go to number twelve to bring you back some clothes for tomorrow and, um, run an errand."

Lupin watched as Tonks tossed on an old blue Oxford shirt and shrugged into her Auror robe. As she slipped her feet into flip-flops, he asked a bit hesitantly. "Would you bring back some books for me?"

"Which ones?"

"The _Elements of Charms and Spells_. There are only three volumes."

"You have a set of those?"

"Hand-me-downs," responded Lupin with a shrug.

"Anything else?"

Lupin's eyes turned upward and Tonks thought she could easily imagine him as a boy in Gryffindor tower for a moment. "I don't suppose you could bring my phonograph and a few records. No, that's too much trouble."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "I'll take my broom to haul them, then. I've got a harness for just such errands. Anything else? How about Buckbeak and Snuffles?"

"No, they shouldn't be out, but let Sirius know I'm doing fine. He tends to worry."

"Done. Is that it?" Tonks had reappeared from her closet with her broom.

He finally shook his head with a quiet, "Thank you."

Tonks was about to leave when she had an evil thought. She managed to put on a concerned face when she turned to Lupin to say, "You can find some healing salts for the bath in the bathroom cabinet. Don't worry, I'll be out for a while."

Lupin merely reached over and tossed the duck to Tonks hands. "Just make sure you take this lecherous fowl with you."

Tonks disapparated with a _squeak_.

- - - - - - - - -

Lupin tested his strength by clearing up some of the clutter around the bed. Breaking Tonks' rules appealed to the Marauder in him. Besides, her penalties seemed rather spontaneous and mostly centered around retribution being taken without warning.

Satisfied that he was still a wizard, Lupin decided to drag himself off to see to a nice soaking bath. There was nothing like Madam Pomfrey's healing salts to ease the aches. Well, actually, having a certain Auror sleeping by his side was just as effective, but as she was still out, he opted for the bath. He frowned at the small tub, but would have to extend the room itself to increase its size, so he merely shrugged and filled the tub quickly.

He added the salts that turned the water into an opaque blue and just soaked for a moment with his head leaning against the wall. He must have dozed because the tepid water temperature woke him. He decided he needed to soak his shoulders and forearms, too, before the water really became too cold.

Lupin slid his upper body down to submerge his head underwater. He had good lung capacity and could stay that way for several minutes, much to the chagrin of his mother when he'd been a boy. So there he was, with his legs dangling out of the tub when he felt something stroking his foot.

_SPLASH!_

"Eek!"

Lupin sat up as he shook the water off. This maneuver displaced a large volume of water all over a certain woman who had managed to sneak into the bathroom.

"Remus! Look what you've done!" Tonks was kneeling in front of the bathtub with little rivulets streaming down her face. Her hair was plastered to her head and the t-shirt she wore was plastered to her body. It finally struck him. No bra.

He'd heard Sirius describe wet t-shirt contests, but never in his days had he witnessed this first hand. "I am looking! But what are you doing here?"

"It's my flat."

"I know it's your flat. What are you doing in the bathroom?" Lupin was grateful for the opaque bath salts. His bent knees were poking out of the water, but the rest of him was submerged except for his torso. There were plenty of scars there to make her cringe, he thought. "Out!"

"Oh, no. You're serving the penalty for flagrantly breaking my rules. I saw the neat piles of laundry in my bedroom."

Lupin opened his mouth to speak, but he was guilty as charged. He just hadn't anticipated the penalty, but surely she would find the marks on his body disgusting. "Fine, you've had your fun. I'm properly chastised. So, out you go."

"Oh, for Merlins' sake, Remus, I was just checking you out," grumbled Tonks as she grabbed a towel and began rubbing her short hair. She made no effort to leave.

"Checking me out?" asked Lupin. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes way from her torso as she held her arms over her head to use the towel to dry her hair.

"Just how clueless are you?" Tonks wrapped the towel over her shoulders, now covering her interesting bits from view. She leaned forward to look him directly in his eyes and said slowly, "I'm attracted to you, but you're always covered up. I wanted to see your body. Get it? You know, Remus Lupin: sex object?"

Lupin knew the moment the blush started creeping up his neck and flushing his face as he saw the way Tonks' eyes were wandering up his neck.

Remus Lupin: sex object? More like Quasimodo's twin, he thought. He gritted his teeth and said, "Satisfied?"

"Absolutely," she quipped. She let her eyes trail along his torso and to his legs, although the water hid the rest of him, and added, "And there's nothing wrong with your body."

"Tonks, I know I'm not--I'm not a Sirius Black." He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

"I had my fill of perfect boys when I was younger, Remus. My current preference is for the body of a man. Do you want to know what I see?"

He shook his head, but heard her voice anyway.

"You're built like a typical scholar about the shoulders, but you're still strong enough to catch me when I fall or carry me off when you've reached your limit with me." She ran her hand lightly up his arm as she said this.

"But the scars--"

"On your body are no more vivid than the ones on your face and you learned not to hide those."

Lupin opened his eyes and saw a sincere gaze. There was no pity or revulsion.

Tonks traced one of the marks that ran along his shoulder. She saw him catch his breath and smiled. "The lycanthropy has kept you lean. No wonder Molly's always trying to fatten you up."

"I bet you also find beanpoles attractive," said Lupin as he tried to accept that Tonks wouldn't reject his physique.

"Absolutely. I like nice, long legs on a man. Your preference for walking instead of apparating all over the place shows." She touched a scar just above his left knee where it looked like a chunk of skin had been taken out. "This is the bite? It's why you limp sometimes?"

Lupin nodded. "That's why I'd rather walk than apparate. I'd be crippled in that leg if I didn't constantly exercise it."

"And that's the most attractive thing of all; you're a smart man," said Tonks.

She leaned forward and softly kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry I let my curiosity get the better of me, Remus. Consider all penalties served."

Lupin reached to clasp her hand for a moment. "You really could live with this?"

She countered with her own question as she changed her hair into a violent shade of purple. "Could you live with this?"

"Absolutely."

Tonks chuckled and rose from the floor. "I brought your things. And I got you a t-shirt to replace the one I stole. It's on the bar." She walked out and closed the door.

Lupin looked up to see a bright yellow t-shirt. It contained lettering that read: **Better than a duck.**

Tonks could hear his laughter through the door and smiled.

_TBC_

Author Notes:

More silliness. Who can resist injecting a rubber duck into the story? Inspired by re-watching the CoS movie, of course.

The purpose was to get Remus to deal with his hangups about his body and make him realize Tonks thinks he's, well, sexy, even with all the flaws. Age never enters into it for me, so while it's important for others to address, it's the least of the issues in these stories.

One chapter left. It won't be entirely fluffy, so be ready for a bit of drama.

13


	3. Andromeda

_**ANDROMEDA**_

After dinner, Tonks hurried off in a rush to get to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Snape. Her Auror robes were flapping around her in time to the sound of her flip-flops. She called over her shoulder as she left, "Finish all that potion, Remus. I'm not letting you get me in trouble with Poppy! I expect to be back soon."

Lupin lifted the glass that held the potion in salute and drank it down in one gulp. The taste never improved over the years.

After Lupin finished his restorative potion, he tossed his wand on the nightstand and put on a record. He lay on the short bed enjoying the music, but realized he missed his hostess. She was so vibrant that she brought life and light into any situation.

He stood up and walked aimlessly to the living room where he was drawn to the bookshelf. He recognized several volumes that were standard issue for Auror training. But he was most intrigued by a slim black book whose spine was labeled _DADA for Dummies_.

Lupin settled on the sofa to find it was a personal journal with Tonks' notes about her Auror training. As it had been in the bookshelf and not hidden away in some drawer, he didn't feel he was invading her privacy to read it. Soon he was laughing at her observations about instructors, fellow students and her own self-deprecating comments.

His reading was interrupted when the door flew open. He began speaking without looking up, "I really think you should publish this, Tonks..."

Lupin's voice fell away as he realized he was addressing Andromeda, Tonks' mother. Lupin was uncertain how to respond to this latest meeting since their previous ones had been contentious. He opted for being polite as he stood and put the book away. "Hello, Andromeda."

"Where is she? What have you done to her?" Andromeda sneered at the man.

Lupin was puzzled by the question and the hostile tone. He stepped away from her cautiously to find he was pinned on one side by the bookcase and the other by the wall. Still, he said calmly, "I assume you dropped by to see your daughter, but I'm afraid she's out."

"Don't lie to me! It was full moon last night. Oh, yes, I know what you are," said Andromeda as she faced him.

Lupin became very alert. He could predict what was coming, but not when. He had sufficient power to perform wandless magic, but it would not be controlled. He refused to inadvertently hurt Tonks' mother.

"I ran into Dolores Umbridge just this afternoon. She was happy to tell me all about you, you disgusting Dark Creature! You've done something to my baby, haven't you?"

"Andromeda, don't get upset. I wouldn't hurt Nymph--"

"Don't you dare say her name! You're not fit to look at her, let alone touch her, you filthy beast." Then Andromeda lashed out her rage and made it real. "_Lacer_!"

Lupin barely had time to raise his arms to protect himself from the Wizard's whip. He murmured _Protego_. The defense would be incomplete, but he was quite familiar with enduring pain.

"She's my only child!"

The lash fell on him to emphasize each of Andromeda's words and he felt the welts rising on his arms as he fell to his knees to decrease the size of her target. He kept his arms protecting his head not so much from vanity, but because the lash could permanently damage his eyes.

"Do you think a mother wants to see her beautiful girl turned into some monster?" Andromeda stopped for moment, but still didn't register she was attacking a defenseless man.

"No," Lupin managed to say, but the witch thought he was pleading for mercy. How could her daughter have fallen for such a pathetic being?

"And all for some--" The sting became sharper.

"Indigent--" The lash now went deeper.

"Intellectual--" The blood ran freely.

"Who gained her pity!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Tonks entered her flat and didn't even register who was attacking Lupin.

She grabbed the wand she had seized with her left hand as she hurried to Lupin who was now kneeling on the floor. She bent on one knee as she arrived at his side. "Remus!"

"I'll be all right, Tonks," murmured Lupin while she staunched the blood flow. "See to your mother."

Tonks looked at him clearly puzzled. She turned with her wand at the ready to deal with his attacker when she finally recognized the figure who was stirring. "Mother?"

Andromeda merely pushed her hair away from her face and stood up on shaky legs. Her proud posture made her an imposing figure. "Nymphadora, get away from that--thing, that werewolf!"

Tonks eyes opened wide. "This is Remus Lupin, not 'that werewolf.' What were you doing, Mother? Why this?"

"I'm all right, Tonks, she has a right to--"

"NO! My mother has no right to come into my home and injure you like this," said Tonks quickly.

"I thought he'd harmed you when I didn't find you here. Dear Merlin, he's a werewolf and it was full moon last night! Don't tell me you're now consorting with Dark Creatures, Nymphadora. I thought I taught you better than that." Andromeda stood with regal composure now as she faced her daughter.

Tonks didn't bother to stand up, but remained on one knee by Lupin. Still, she raised her eyes to meet her mother in a stony gaze. "You taught me that being different didn't have to mean I was ugly. You taught me that being ashamed of having special talents was a waste of time. You, Mother, taught me that hurting the innocent for your own amusement was evil. Have you forgotten those lessons? I haven't!"

Andromeda couldn't speak for a moment, but when she found her voice, she was outraged. "Innocent! Do you think that--that _he_ has lived this long without killing someone? Or creating another werewolf? How do you know he doesn't have his own wolf pack that he serves?"

"Because he serves with me," began Tonks, but caught herself before she said the Order of the Phoenix. "Remus helps out on Auror missions sometimes. Do you think Moody would trust him if he were a Dark Creature?"

Andromeda looked at Lupin again. He remained silent and returned her gaze cautiously, but there was no fear in his eyes. He almost looked as if he understood her distress.

The witch shook her head and this time used a pleading tone. "Nymphadora, think about your future. This relationship can't possibly end up well. What happens if you get pregnant? Do you think I want to see my baby girl torn up from the inside when she births a wolf cub?"

"Who told you that lie? Werewolves are completely normal except during full moon. There is no baby eating up a mother from the inside to worry about."

"You'd actually mix your bloodline with his?" asked Andromeda incredulously.

For a moment she could only echo, "His bloodline."

Tonks shook her head and emitted a bitter laugh. _Venificus primo_ not good enough? If only her mother knew the truth, but she settled for saying, "Yes, Mother, I would proudly mix my bloodline with his."

Andromeda closed her eyes in seeming defeat. She had no options left, she had to use her last resort. "Nymphadora, years from now you'll see this was for your own good. You have a choice to make. Him or me."

"What?" Tonks couldn't believe her ears. Even when they had competed for the same men in her youth, they had never been brought to this extreme measure.

"It's a simple decision, Nymphadora. Your own flesh and blood or your new lover. Which is it? I promise you, I won't have anything to do with you while you're with him."

"Tonks, don't be rash. I can leave--" began Lupin.

"No, no, you're not going anywhere," she said urgently to Lupin.

"Tonks--" he tried again.

"No!" Tonks turned to Andromeda and said, "Fine. You're right, it is an easy decision. You see, regardless of whether Remus is my lover or just my friend, I won't tolerate anyone treating him less than human."

"Nymphadora, I--" began her mother.

"I love you, too, Mother." Tonks now rose with one purpose in mind and ignored the tears that began streaming down her face. She tossed Andromeda's wand back to her. Then she pointed her own and said, "When you can walk in that door--"

"Don't do this, Tonks, I'm not worth it," said Lupin.

Tonks just put her hand on his shoulder and he fell silent.

"When you can walk in that door and accept Remus Lupin in my life, then you can return." Tonks voice held no room for argument. All Andromeda could do was stand there in stunned silence.

"_Exsilium mater_."

Tonks cast the banishment spell that would send her mother to her own house. Further, the spell would prevent Andromeda from coming near her until the requirements to lift the spell were met.

As she watched her mother vanishing, Tonks finally fell into Lupin's arms and sobbed for a long moment.

The wounds on his arms were nothing compared to seeing her emotional pain. He rocked her gently as they knelt on the floor. "I'm not worth this. Call your mother back, Tonks."

"Damn it! You just broke rule number five: You are never to say you're not worth it! You're exactly why we stand against the Darkness, Remus. All that can be good in man I've seen in you."

Lupin touched her cheek gently and wiped away her tears. "My dear Aurora, I don't want to be the source of any pain you bear."

Tonks sniffed and said, "She's the one who caused me pain when she hurt you. I offered you a safe haven, but that's been violated. I haven't been able to do anything to help you recover."

Tonks nuzzled closer to him as he whispered, "You are helping me, Tonks. You're better than chocolate."

"Really?" asked Tonks.

"Really. And I've been hit with a lot worse from the Wizard's whip. This was a small thing."

Tonks pulled back a moment and rubbed her eyes. "This isn't the first time?"

Lupin just shook his head, but Tonks was drawn to the scars on his face. She realized for the first time that they would have been made while he was a human, not a werewolf, to have left the continuous marks they presented. She traced the scars lightly now and closed her eyes. "These aren't self-inflicted? Someone did this to you. How can people be so cruel?"

"I grew up with the same prejudices, Tonks. For centuries my family only sought to kill the beasts, not to understand them."

"But the last real Wolf Hunter was your grand..." Her voice died away for a moment, but as she pulled back to look at Lupin, he wouldn't meet her gaze. "How old were you when your grandfather did this to you?"

"We, my mother and father and I, hid the truth from him about me for five years. They had only been going out on hunts twice a year by the time I got bitten. Father used my 'illness' as an excuse to give up the hunt. He'd bundle me off to a cave for the nights when Grandfather had to use the Arsenal. Then, when I was ten, Grandfather discovered our little secret. Really, I'm surprised we kept it from him for so long."

"I think you refuse to see what's right in front of you sometimes," said Tonks. "What happened?"

"Grandfather waited until I had recovered from the full moon before confronting my parents, but I think the wait only fueled his rage. He came after me--" Lupin closed his eyes for a moment before murmuring. "I remember thinking to myself that at least he wouldn't see me crying."

"What did your parents do?" asked Tonks.

"They used the banishment spell on him just like you did to your mother. Grandfather died a few months later, but he never saw us again." Lupin shook his head. "We were a family of Wolf Hunters and the methods that were used were even more brutal than the Wizard's whip. I think about that whenever something like this happens. Perhaps my curse is a way of making up for the sins of my legacy?"

Tonks shook her head. "No, as a child, we are all born innocent. You have nothing to atone for, Remus."

Lupin let his head drop onto her soft hair. She really was better than chocolate.

Tonks inspected his arms again and said, "My mother didn't know the _lacer_ curse before this. How could she--"

Lupin closed his eyes as things fell into place. "Umbridge. She said she met Umbridge. That's how she discovered I was a werewolf."

He opened his eyes and looked at Tonks. "There are ways other than an imperious curse to get someone to do your dirty work."

Tonks only nodded. She felt quite drained at the moment, but had to put things into perspective. "All right, I'll go see my mother in a few days and lift the banishment, but I'm setting wards on my flat so that no one I know can just barge in like I've always let her do."

"I think that's a good compromise," replied Lupin. He was silent for a long moment, but he felt compelled to broach the subject. "Tonks, this sort of thing is what you can expect if you get involved with me. I've learned to live with people pointing to me and calling me a monster. But you become one by association."

Tonks turned and clasped both his hands in hers. She took a deep breath and tried to explain. "Remus, I'm not defending you so you'll feel obligated to sleep with me. I'm not standing by your side because I think it's a quick way to seduce you. I meant what I said to my mother. Friend or lover, I won't abide your being mistreated. And people have been pointing to me all my life because I can morph. That's nothing new to me."

Tonks leaned her forehead against his and said, "Now this is where you say something really sappy."

Lupin smiled lightly. "You are better than chocolate, Nymphadora."

Tonks giggled and replied, "And you're better than a duck."

"I am so proud," said Lupin solemnly as he put a fist to his chest.

Tonks waited patiently as the smile left his face and his eyes moved to her lips. She met him halfway to share the kiss. Cherish. It would do for now.

"Let me see to your wounds. I need to get them wrapped up before Dung gets here," said Tonks once they broke the kiss.

They stood up as Lupin asked, "Mundungus Fletcher? Why is he coming here."

"I ran into him while Snape kept me waiting at the Leaky Cauldron. I arranged a, um, purchase from him."

Lupin gave her a dubious glance. "Purchase? Using Dung as your agent is a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"You'll be pleased. Now, come on."

- - - - - - - - -

Two hours later, Lupin was lying comfortably in a kingsize bed as he read his book. Tonks had threatened to rip out Dung's tongue if he told anyone about her purchase. The whole transaction had gone rather smoothly after that. His phonograph was playing an instrumental in the background. All in all, Remus Lupin looked like he was recovering just fine.

Tonks was now lying next to him but was using his feet, which now fit inside the bedframe, to prop up her book. Her own feet were snuggled next to Lupin's warm body with one of his arms holding her legs. Occasionally he offered an absent stroke to her calves.

Tonks smiled. The man was completely clueless, but he was learning. And he was definitely better than a duck.

_The End_

Author Notes:

I used Andromeda rather harshly here to present the prejudices that Remus has likely faced in his life. It also gave me chance to enhance his background. I wasn't after angst; I'm more interested in coping with the emotional turmoil rather than extending it.

Exsilium and lacer are not canon. I wanted a banishment spell and something nasty that wasn't cruciatus (?) so we have the Wizard's whip.

Lupin hasn't moved in with Tonks. His phonograph will be back at Grimmauld Place, but now he has another "safe house" and no excuses for not feeling comfortable at Tonks flat. Smart woman.

Thank you for reading. Special thanks for taking the time to review. I'm working on my take of the Advance Guard chapter without trying to rewrite it, just fill in gaps, but it'll be 10 days or so before I get it posted.


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